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CHAMBER MUSIC 



BOOKS BY JAMES JOYCE 

A Portrait of the Artist as a 
Young Man 

Dubliners (short stories) 

Exiles (drama) 

Chamber Music 

Ulysses (in preparation) 



CHAMBER MUSIC 
By JAMES JOYCE 

AUTHORIZED EDITION PUBLISHED BY 
B. W. HUEBSCH NEW YORK MCMXVIIl 




COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY B. W. HUEBSCH 
PRINTED IN U. S. A. 



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OCT -7 1918 



(Q)Ci.A503710 



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(^- PUBLISHER'S NOTE 

^ This is the only American edition of 

Chamber Music that is authorized by Mr. 
\ Joyce. 






CHAMBER MUSIC 



Strings in the earth and air 

Make music sweet; 
Strings by the river where 

The willows meet. 

There's music along the river 
For Love wanders there, 

Pale flowers on his mantle, 
Dark leaves on his hair. 

All softly playing. 

With head to the music bent, 
And fingers straying 

Upon an instrument. 



T] 



The twilight turns from amethyst 

To deep and deeper blue, 
The lamp fills with a pale green glow 

The trees of the avenue. 

The old piano plays an air. 

Sedate and slow and gay ; 
She bends upon the yellow keys, 

Her head inclines this way. 

Shy thoughts and grave wide eyes and 
hands 

That wander as they list — 
The twilight turns to darker blue 

With lights of amethyst. 



Ill 



At that hour when all things have repose, 
O lonely watcher of the skies, 
Do you hear the night wind and the sighs 

Of harps playing unto Love to unclose 
The pale gates of sunrise? 

When all things repose do you alone 
Awake to hear the sweet harps play 
To Love before him on his way, 

And the night wind answering in antiphon 
Till night is overgone? 

Play on, invisible harps, unto Love, 
Whose way in heaven is aglow 
At that hour when soft lights come and go, 

Soft sweet music in the air above 
And in the earth below. 



IV 



When the shy star goes forth in heaven 

All maidenly, disconsolate, 
Hear you amid the drowsy even 

One who is singing by your gate. 
His song is softer than the dew 

And he is come to visit you. 

O bend no more in revery 

When he at eventide is calling. 

Nor muse: Who may this singer be 
Whose song about my heart is falling? 

Know you by this, the lover^s chant, 
'Tis I that am your visitant. 



V 

Lean out of the window, 

Goldenhair, 
I heard you singing 

A merry air. 

My book was closed; 

I read no more, 
Watching the fire dance 

On the floor. 

I have left my book, 

I have left my room. 

For I heard you singing 
Through the gloom. 

Singing and singing 

A merry air. 
Lean out of the window, 

Goldenhair. 



VI 

I WOULD in that sweet bosom be 
(O sweet it is and fair it is!) 

Where no rude wind might visit me. 
Because of sad austerities 

I would in that sweet bosom be. 

I would be ever in that heart 

(O soft I knock and soft entreat her!) 
Where only peace might be my part. 

Austerities were all the sweeter 
So I were ever in that heart. 



VII 

My love is in a light attire 

Among the apple-trees, 
Where the gay winds do most desire 

To run in companies. 

There, where the gay winds stay to woo 
The young leaves as they pass. 

My love goes slowly, bending to 
Her shadow on the grass ; 

And where the sky's a pale blue cup 

Over the laughing land, 
My love goes lightly, holding up 

Her dress with dainty hand. 



VIII 

Who goes amid the green wood 
With springtide all adorning her? 

Who goes amid the merry green wood 
To make it merrier? 

Who passes in the sunlight 

By ways that know the light footfall ? 
Who passes in the sweet sunlight 

With mien so virginal? 

The ways of all the woodland 

Gleam with a soft and golden fire — 

For whom does all the sunny woodland 
Carry so brave attire? 

O, it is for my true love 

The woods their rich apparel wear — 
O, it is for my own true love, 

That is so young and fair. 



IX 



Winds of May, that dance on the sea, 
Dancing a ring-around in glee 
From furrow to furrow, while overhead 
The foam flies up to be garlanded, 
In silvery arches spanning the air, 
Saw you my true love anywhere? 

Welladay! Welladay! 

For the winds of May ! 
Love is unhappy when love is away! 



X 

Bright cap and streamers, 
He sings in the hollow : 
Come follow, come follow. 
All you that love. 
Leave dreams to the dreamers 
That will not after, 
That song and laughter 
Do nothing move. 

With ribbons streaming 
He sings the bolder; 
In troop at his shoulder 
The wild bees hum. 
And the time of dreaming 
Dreams is over — 
As lover to lover. 

Sweetheart, I come. 



XI 

Bid adieu, adieu, adieu, 

Bid adieu to girlish days, 
Happy Love is come to woo 

Thee and woo thy girhsh ways — 
The zone that doth become thee fair, 
The snood upon thy yellow hair. 

When thou hast heard his name upon 
The bugles of the cherubim 

Begin thou softly to unzone 
Thy girlish bosom unto him 

And softly to undoi the snood 

That is the sign of maidenhood. 



XII 

What counsel has the hooded moon 
Put in thy heart, my shyly sweet, 

Of Love in ancient plenilune. 

Glory and stars beneath his feet — 

A sage that is but kith and kin 

With the comedian Capuchin? 

Believe me rather that am wise 

In disregard of the divine, 
A glory kindles in those eyes, 

Trembles to starlight. Mine, O Mine! 
No more be tears in moon or mist 
For thee, sweet sentimentalist. 



XIII 

Go seek her out all courteously, 

And say I come, 
Wind of spices whose song is ever 

Epithalamium. 
O, hurry over the dark lands 

And run upon the sea 
For seas and land shall not divide us. 

My love and me. 

Nov;^, wind, of your good courtesy 

I pray you go. 
And come into her little garden 

And sing at her window ; 
Singing: The bridal wind is blowing 

For Love is at his noon ; 
And soon will your true love be with you, 

Soon, O soon. 



XIV 

My dove, my beautiful one, 

Arise, arise! 

The night-dew lies 
Upon my lips and eyes. 

The odorous winds are weaving 

A music of sighs: 

Arise, arise. 
My dove, my beautiful one! 

I wait by the cedar tree. 

My sister, my love. 

White breast of the dove. 
My breast shall be your bed. 

The pale dew lies 

Like a veil on my head. 
My fair one, my fair dove. 

Arise, arise! 



XV 

From dewy dreams, my soul, arise, 

From love's deep slumber and from death, 

For lo ! the trees are full of sighs 
Whose leaves the morn admonisheth. 

Eastward the gradual dawn prevails 
Where softly-burning (fires appear. 

Making to tremble all those veils 
Of grey and golden gossamer. 

While sw'eetly, gently, secretly. 

The flowery bells of morn are stirred 

And the wise choirs of faery 

Begin (innumerous!) to be heard. 



XVI 

O COOL is the valley now 

And there, love, 'will we go 
For many a choir is singing now 

Where Love did sometime go. 
And hear you not the thrushes calling, 

Calling us away? 
O cool and pleasant is the valley 

And there, love, will we stay. 



XVII 

Because your voice was at my side 

I gave him pain, 
Because within my hand I held 

Your hand again. 

There is no word nor any sign 

Can make amend — 
He is a stranger to me now 

Who was my friend. 



XVIII 

O SWEETHEART, hear you 

Your lover's tale; 
A man shall have sorrow 

When friends him fail. 

For he shall know then 

Friends be untrue 
And a little ashes 

Their words come to. 

But one unto him 

Will softly move 
And softly wt)o him 

In ways of love. 

His hand is under 

Her smooth round breast; 
So he who has sorrow 

Shall have rest. 



XIX 

Be not sad because all men 

Prefer a lying clamour before you: 
Sweetheart, be at peace again — 

Can they dishonor you? 

They are sadder than all tears; 

Their lives ascend as a continual sigh. 
Proudly answer to their tears: 

As they deny, deny. 



XX 

In the dark pine- wood 

I would we lay, 
In deep cool shadow 

At noon of day. 

How sweet to lie there, 

Sweet to kiss, 
Where the great pine-forest 

Enaisled is! 

Thy kiss descending 

Sweeter were 
With a soft tumult 

Of thy hair. 

O, unto the pine-wood 

At noon of day 
Come with me now, 

Sweet love, away. 



XXI 

He who hath glory lost, nor hath 
Found any soul to fellow his, 

Among his foes in scorn and wrath 
Holding to ancient nobleness, 

That high unconsortable one — 

His love is his companion. 



XXII 

Of that so sweet imprisonment 
My soul, dearest, is fain — 

Soft arms that woo me to relent 
And woo me to detain. 

Ah, could they ever hold me there 

Gladly were I a prisoner ! 

Dearest, through interwoven arms 

By love made tremulous. 
That night allures me where alarms 

Nowise may trouble us; 
But sleep to dreamier sleep be wed 
Where soul with soul lies prisoned. 



XXIII 

This heart that flutters near my heart 
My hope and all my riches is, 

Unhappy when we draw apart 

And happy between kiss and kiss; 

My hope and all my riches — yes ! — 

And all my happiness. 

For there, as in some mossy nest 
The wrens will divers treasures keep, 

I laid those treasures I possessed 

Ere that mine eyes had learned to 
weep. 

Shall we not be as wise as they 

Though love live but a day ? 



XXIV 

Silently she's combing, 

Combing her long hair, 
Silently and graciously, 

With many a pretty air. 

The sun is in the willow leaves 

And on the dappled grass, 
And still she's combing her long hair 

Before the looking-glass. 

I pray you, cease to comb out. 
Comb out your long hair, 

For I have heard of witchery 
Under a pretty air. 

That imakes as one thing to the lover 

Staying and going hence. 
All fair, with many a pretty air 

And many a negligence. 



XXV 

Lightly come or lightly go: 

Though thy heart presage thee woe, 

Vales and many a wasted sun, 
Oread, let thy laughter run 

Till the irreverent mountain air 

Ripple all thy flying hair. 

Lightly, lightly — ever so: 

Clouds that wrap the vales below 

At the hour of evenstar 
Lowliest attendants are; 

Love and laughter song-confessed 

When the heart is heaviest. 



XXVI 

Thou leanest to the shell of night, 

Dear lady, a divining" ear. 
In that soft choiring of delight 

What sound hath made thy heart to fear ? 
Seemed it of rivers rushing forth 
From the grey deserts of the north? 

That mood of thine, O timorous. 
Is his, if thou but scan it well, 

Who a mad tale bequeaths to us 
At ghosting hour conjurable — 

And all for some strange name he read 

In Purchas or in Holinshed. 



XXVII 

Though I thy Mithridates were, 
Framed to defy the poison-dart, 

Yet must thou fold me unaware 
To know the rapture of thy heart. 

And I but render and confess 

The mahce of thy tenderness. 

For elegant and antique phrase. 
Dearest, my lips wax all too wise ; 

Nor have I known a love whose praise 
Our piping poets solemnize. 

Neither a love where may not be 

Ever so little falsity. 



XXVIII 

Gentle lady, do not sing 

Sad songs about the end of love ; 
Lay aside sadness and sing 

How love that passes is enough. 

Sing about the long deep sleep 
Of lovers that are dead, and how 

In the grave all love shall sleep: 
Love is aweary now. 



XXIX 

Dear heart, why will you use me so ? 

Dear eyes that gently me upbraid, 
Still are you beautiful — but O, 

How is your beauty raimented! 

Through the clear mirror of your eyes, 
Through the soft cry of kiss to kiss. 

Desolate winds assail with cries 
The shadowy garden where love is. 

And soon shall love dissolved be 

When over us the wild winds blow — 

But you, dear love, too dear to me, 
Alas ! why will you use me so ? 



'/ 



XXX 

Love came to us in time gone by 
When one at twilight shyly played 

And one in fear was standing nigh — 
For Love at first is all afraid. 

We were grave lovers. Love is past 
That had his sweet hours many a one ; 

Welcome to us now at the last 
The ways that we shall go upon. 



XXXI 

O, it was out by Donnycarney 

When the bat flew from tree to tree 

My love and I did walk together ; 
And sweet were the words she said to me. 

Along with us the summer wind 
Went murmuring — O, happily ! — 

But softer than the breath of summer 
Was the kiss she gave to me. 



XXXII 

Rain has fallen all the day. 

O come among the laden trees : 
The leaves lie thick upon the way 

Of memories. 

Staying a little by the way 
Of memories shall we depart. 

Come, my beloved, where I may 
Speak to your heart. 



XXXIII 

Now, O now, in this brown land 

Where Love did so sweet music make 

We two shall wander, hand in hand. 
Forbearing for old friendship' sake, 

Nor grieve because our love was gay 

Which now is ended in this way. 

A rogue in red and yellow dress 
Is knocking, knocking at the tree ; 

And all around our loneliness 
The wind is whistling merrily. 

The leaves — they do not sigh at all 

When the year takes them in the fall. 

Now, O now, we hear no more 

The vilanelle and roundelay! 
Yet will we kiss, sweetheart, before 

We take sad leave at close of day. 
Grieve not, sweetheart, for anything — 
The year, the year is gathering. 



XXXIV 

Sleep now, O sleep now, 
O you unquiet heart ! 

A voice crying '* Sleep now " 
Is heard in my heart. 

The voice of the winter 
Is heard at the door. 

O sleep, for the winter 
Is crying ^' Sleep no more/ 

My kiss will give peace now 
And quiet to your heart - 

Sleep on in peace now, 
O you unquiet heart ! 



XXXV 

All day I hear the noise of waters 

Making moan, 
Sad as the sea-bird is, when going 

Forth alone, 
He hears the winds cry to the waters' 

Monotone. 

The grey winds, the cold winds are blowing 

Where I go. 
I hear the noise of many waters 

Far below. 
All day, all night, I hear them flowing 

To and fro. 



// 



XXXVI 

I HEAR an army charging upon the land, 
And the thunder of horses plunging, 
foam about their knees : 
Arrogant, in black armour, behind them 
stand. 
Disdaining the reins, with fluttering 
whips, the charioteers. 

They cry unto the night their battle-name : 
I moan in sleep when I hear afar their 
whirling laughter. 
They cleave the gloom of dreams, a blinding 
flame. 
Clanging, clanging upon the heart as 
upon an anvil. 

They come shaking in triumph their long, 
green hair : 
They come out of the sea and run 
shouting by the shore. 
My heart, have you no wisdom thus to 
despair ? 
My love, my love, my love, why have 
you left me alone? 



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